Roads and Traffic Authority
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The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) is a New South Wales (Australia) Government agency responsible for major road infrastructure, licensing of drivers, and registration of motor vehicles. The RTA directly manages State roads and provides funding to local councils for regional and local roads. In addition, with assistance from the Federal Government, the RTA also manages the NSW national highway system.
The organisation is the result of an amalgamation of the Department of Main Roads (DMR), Department of Motor Transport (DMT) and the Traffic Authority (TA) that occurred in January 1989.
The RTA is also responsible for the Registration of vehicles (including the issuing of Registration Plates) and the issuing of Drivers licences in New South Wales, including testing and administering of licences. Additionally the RTA produces photo cards for identification of non-drivers and issues photographic Firearms Licences for the New South Wales Police Firearms Registry and issues Proof of Age Cards for people younger than the age required to obtain a license.
Currently, the minister responsible for the roads portfolio is Eric Roozendaal.
The RTA: [1]
- Manages 4787 bridges and 17,623 km of State Roads and Highways including 3105 km of National Highways.
- employs 6900 staff in more than 180 offices throughout NSW, including 129 Motor Registries Offices.
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[edit] 6 regions of the RTA
RTA's NSW is divided up into 6 regions, and these are described in general terms below.
- Sydney region encompasses the area of Sydney and the Blue Mountains.
- Hunter Region encompasses the Hunter Valley, Central Coast and the southern portion of the Mid-North Coast
- Northern Region extends from about Taree to the QLD border, and goes as far inland as Tamworth
- Southern Region encompasses the land south east of the ACT and Wollongong/Illawarra
- South West Region encompasses essentially the land west of the ACT to the SA border, extending from the Murray River up to around West Wyalong.
- Far West Region encompasses the remaining section in the northwest of the state.
[edit] Key building projects
Key road building projects that the RTA is undertaking either directly, through contractors or via public/private partnerships include:
- Completion of a minimum four-lane arterial type road, with traffic signals at upgraded intersections from Woodford to Wentworth Falls on the Great Western Highway, by 2008. [2]
- Completion of the upgrading of the remaining two-lane sections of the Hume Highway to dual carriageway (four-lane) standard, by 2012. [3]
- Completion of the upgrading of the Pacific Highway to continuous dual carriageway (minimum four-lane) standard between the Sydney Newcastle Freeway and the Queensland border, by 2016. [4]
- Completion of a four-lane dual carriageway of the Princes Highway from the Jervis Bay turnoff to link up with the Sydney Orbital Motorway near Mascot, by 2014 [5].
Some projects that have been completed in recent years:
- The Cross City Tunnel in Sydney [6]
- Westlink M7 [7]
- Metroad 2 Windsor road - Duplicated to a four-lane arterial type road [8]
- The Lane Cove Tunnel and the Sydney Orbital Motorway [9].
[edit] RTA on MySpace
MySpace.com Australia has provided the RTA with a new platform from which to address the rising number of fatal P-plater car accidents. MySpace.com approached the RTA and offered banner advertising across the site at no cost as well as a free road safety space.
The MySpace profile is aimed to provide a channel for teenagers to share their experiences and vent any frustrations and concerns about dangerous driving. An RTA spokesperson commented, describing the opportunity to communicate road safety messages via MySpace as a boost to the campaign as online advertising is considered an effective way to reach the youth market.
With over one thousand friends and 200+ comments it would seem that the response is positive, however, the majority of comments are of Provisional drivers venting frustration against the RTA and current driving restrictions (as well as future rumored restrictions). The RTA have not made any statements regarding these comments.
[edit] External links
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